Knife and shield



july 29, 1924-. 1,503,053

\ L.. R. KRATZMUELLER KNIFE AND SHIELD Filed Dec. 17. 1920 .IHHIIHI IHIHHHIIIHIHIHIII Il i Patented July 29, 1924.

Louis naaarznunttna, ce enfonce. immers.

Kivrn AND 'sHrELn i Application led December 17, 1920. Serial'N'o. 431,359.

To all whom t may concern.:

Be it known that I, LoUis R. KRATZ- MUELLER, a citizen of the United States, re-y siding at 3510 Sheffield Avenue, Chicago, in the county of Cookand State of Illinois, havel invented a new and useful Improvement in Knives and Shields, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to surgeons knives and shields therefor, and is fully described in the following specification and shown in `the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a shield with knives therein;

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the same;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a shield with a knife in place therein;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the shield with the knife removed; and

Figs. 5 and 6 are enlarged sections on the lines 5 and 6 of Fig. 1. In the embodiment sho-wn the shield 10 has two clips 11, hingedly mounted thereon at one end by means of rivets 12. lThese clips are formed as shown at 11a in Fig. 6 to fit the rear end of a knife handle 13 which is preferably tapered as shown in Fig. 1.

The upper end of the shield 10 which is of metal or the like is bifurcated and bent back upon itself forming two overlying steel portions 10a as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. The inner end of each overlying portion 10a is bent down at 10b so as t0 lie sub# stantially perpendicular to the main body of the shield 10,. and terminates in lingers 10c which normally engage the bottom of the depression 10d.

Plates 14 are mounted upon the upper ends of the handles 13 and have necked down portions 15 which are adapted to be forced under the inclined ends 16 as shown in Fig. 5 and held in the notches 17 in the bent portions 10b. The shield 10 is made of a springy material such as tampered steel and is preferably slightly bored as shown in Fig. 4.

The method ofoperation is as follows rThe knife handle '13 is inserted in one of the clips 11. as shown in Fig. 1 in dotted' lines, and the knife is then turned until the necked down portion 15 is under the shoul-V der 16 and into the notch 17 as shown in Fig. 5. It will be noted that the rivets 12 are preferably made long enough to act as a stop for the ends of the'lmife handles 13.

blade is snapped into place there is sufii-y cient spring in the shield to maintain it in place until it is forcibly withdrawn therefrom."

- A surgeons knife is provided, which can f L be readily carried in a surgeons case or in his pocket and which is ready for use at a moments notice. With this device a surgeon can throw his knife together with the shield into the sterilizing tank without fear of injury to the cutting edges of the-knife, whereas formerly it was necessary for him to sterilize his knives separately necessitating the expenditure of a great deal additional time and labor.

While Ihave shown and described but a single embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that it is capable of many modifications. Changes, therefore, in the construction and arrangement may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as disclosed in the appended claims, in whichit is my intention to claimall novelty inherent in my invention as broadly as possible in view ofthe prior art.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination, a knife having a rigid handle and blade, and .a metal shield detachably secured to the free end of said handle and having a portion bent back over said blade, said portion being'bent along a line substantially at right angles to the length of said shield.

2. In combination, a knife having a rigid handle and blade, and a shield detachably secured to the free end of said handle and having a portion bent back over said blade,

said portion being bent along a line substan- Atially at right angles tothe length of said shield and detachably'secured to the knifev near the junction of said blade `and handle.

3. In combination, a knife 'having a rigid handle and blade, a necked down portion between the handle and blade anda shield detachably secured to the freeY end of said handle, having a portion bent back Yover said blade and detachablyengaging said necked down portion.

4. In combination, a metal shield, a plurality of sockets hingedly attached at one end thereof, and a plurality of knives, each having a rigid handle and blade, said shield having overlying portions extending back thereover each terminating in an end portion extending toward said shield and having a notch therein, whereby one of the handles may be inserted in one of said sockets and the blade swung under the corresponding overlying portion and into engagement with said notch.

5. In combination, a metal shield, a plurality of sockets hingedly attached at one end thereof, and a plurality of knives, each having a rigid handle and blade, said shield having overlying portionsv extending back thereover each terminating in an end portion extending toward said shield and having aV notch therein, whereby one of the handles may be inserted in one of said sockets and the blade swung under the corresponding overlying portion and into engagement with said notch and means for preventing adjacent blades from touching each other.

6. In combination, a metal shield, a plurality of sockets hingedly attached at one end thereof, and a plurality of knives, each having a rigid handle and blade, said shield having overlying portions extending back thereover each terminating in an.- end portion extending toward said shield and having a notch therein, whereby one of the handles may be inserted in oney of said sockets and the blade swung under the corresponding overlying portion and into engagement with said notch and extensions on said end portions for preventing adjoining blades from touching each other.

Louis R. KRATZMELLER. 

